[OPINION] What my father and Tule Lake pilgrims taught me about World War II

Reflections on World War II and Tule Lake

I grew up unaware of the internment of approximately 110,000 Japanese-Americans, including children, who were suspected of being "enemy aliens."

Memories of War and Internment

As we observe the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end, two vivid memories remain: my father’s haunting nightmares and an elderly woman fighting back tears as our bus entered the former Tule Lake internment camp in California.

My Father’s Story

My father, Benjamin Pimentel Sr., was a teenager when Japan invaded the Philippines soon after Pearl Harbor’s bombing. Like many young Filipinos, he joined the resistance and was detained and interrogated by the Kempetai, the Japanese secret police. His brother, my Uncle Jesus, was captured afterward and never seen again; the family believed he was executed.

Once athletic, my father became physically shattered after his time as a guerrilla in the jungle and never fully recovered from the war. Despite decades of nightmares, he never expressed bitterness toward the Japanese. He calmly recalled his experiences with fairness, saying:

“The Japanese soldiers back then were very brutal.”
“The Japanese imperial forces really caused a lot of damage.”

After moving to America, I never worried about introducing him to my Japanese-American friends.

Author’s Reflection

This personal history reveals the complex human emotions and resilience surrounding wartime trauma and the internment experience.

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Rappler Rappler — 2025-11-04

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